《民間傳奇》adapted dozens of famous Chinese folk tales, dramas, and myth legends, such as "The Butterfly Lovers" and "Chang'e Flying to the Moon". These stories show the joys and sorrows of ancient Chinese people, and celebrate the righteous and kind while condemning evil. The endings are not always perfect, but justice eventually prevails and evil-doers get what they deserve. The show is a classic in Chinese TV history, often broadcasted during holidays, and remains unsurpassed to this day.

Brothers Bo and Wei are forced to join the triad in Hong Kong after arriving from China. They become successful drug dealers but sacrifice their family happiness for money and power. Once the ICAC is established, they become its targets and struggle to escape its grip.

Bandit Chao investigates the theft of the Tianyi Holy Water from the Shengshui Palace and discovers that his friend Nangongyi, the leader of the Beggar Clan, and the monk Wuchin are involved and want him dead. Meanwhile, Chao's three female confidantes suddenly disappear, prompting him to search for them in the country of Yanyu. However, he becomes embroiled in a political coup there, masterminded by Wuchin disguised as another and his mother, Golden Bodhisattva. Chao confronts them, returns to the Central Plains, and is ambushed by Shuimu, the head of the Shengshui Palace, who wants to kill him. Chao sneaks into the palace and overhears Shang Yan, a disciple of the palace, reveal the truth about how Shuimu framed him to cover up a secret. The three engage in a life-and-death battle.

Restaurant owner Lu Ganyu has two sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Lu Wenjun, becomes a journalist and later opens his own newspaper. However, his newspaper is suppressed by rivals, making him realize the cunning nature of the business world and prompting him to change. Wenjun uses the wealthy Huang De to help him, but he later forces Huang to sell his shares. Wenqi, Wenjun's sister, marries Huang despite her family's objections, but they don't get along. Wenjun falls in love with Xiao Ailian and Zou Shujuan. Although he marries Shujuan, he can't forget about Ailian. In his bid for success, Wenjun ignores his family and even associates himself with Meng Yanhong, a famous matchmaker, leading to his eventual success but estrangement from his loved ones. Meanwhile, Huang and Wenjun's enemies conspire to take him down.

In the sixth year of Baoyou, the Mongol army pressed the border, and Fan Chengshun general Zhang Tianshun saved the people of Fancheng, handed over the yellow dragon sword containing the anti-yuan roster to the partial general Fan Guoxing, and then killed himself, so that Guoxing sent his head to surrender the enemy. Since then, Guoxing has been known as a traitor, and his son Fan Qiu was born in the countryside and lived incognito, and many years later he was discovered by Mrs. Qiu Wan, who "pierced the heart with a sword". During Qiusheng and Guoxing's exile, he met Liu Qinglian, who was ordered by his mother to insist on a duel with Mrs. Wan and killed her with her own hands. On the other side, Zhang Qi, who had been adopted by a Mongol since childhood, was arranged to appear as the son of Tianshun, and colluded with Ling Chufeng, the head of the famous sword gate, in an attempt to eliminate the anti-Yuan forces in the Central Plains.